Process and apparatus for converting oils



C. P. DUBBS PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING bILs Filed Oct. 8. 1921May 10, 1927.

. M Carbon P Dub/:5.

y wN Q. g a A A v x N 11.]? m K N m NM K N5. i I I \v Sw N Q r 7 1QwZ/Z/ NW w k Patented May i 2 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

cABBoN r. Dumas, or WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR r UNIVERSAL on.rnonuc'rs COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or sourn DAKOTA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING OILS.

Application filed umber This invention relates to improvements inprocess and apparatus for converting oils and refers more particularlyto a process in Which preheated gas isintroduced to the vaporizing oilbody toaccelerate and increase the yield of the generated vapors.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide a process inwhich oil is heated to atcracking temperature in the heating zone. andpermitted to crack and vaporize in an enlarged vapor zone, wherein,during vaporization, heated gases are caused to percolate through theoil body for the purpose of maintaining the vaporizing oil at a properconversion temperature, agitating the oil toassist in maintaining theseparated free carbon in suspension in the unvaporized oil and toaccelerate and lncrease the volume of vapors generated; to provide aprocess in which the percolation of heated gases through the vaporizingoil body obviates the neoessity of externally heating the vaporizingzone to maintain it at a proper conversion temperature; to provide aprocess in which the injection of this heated gas permits a" mits of theoperation continuously of the process for a greater period of time thanhas been heretofore the practice in common types of conversionapparatus.

Reference is made to my co-pending application Serial No. 381,921, filedMay 17, 1920, which discloses certain subject matter found in this.application. a

The single figure in the drawing is a diagrammatic side elevationalview, of the apparatus. 1

Referring in particular to the-drawing, the raw oil isintroduced throughthe inle pipe 1 to the top of the dephlegmator 2, an flows downwardlytherethrough in. an

opposed direction to the oil vapors which.

are refluxed by coming in intimate contact with the incoming cool rawoil. The 011, with W what condensate it may collect in the refluxing orfractional condensing column 2 is drawn off through the line .3controlled by a valve-4 and is charged b means of a pump 5 through thecharging line s t the heating 8,1921. swarm). 506,225.

coil 7 mounted in. the furnace 8, the latter being preferably heated bymeans of gas burners 9.- The oil, after being raised to a ,crackingtemperature, is passed through the transfer line 10 to the vaporizingchamber 11 where it collects and is permitted to vaporize in asubstantial body, the level of the oil in the insulated chamber beingregulated-by the residuum drawoif line 12 controlled by a valve 13. Thevaporsgengrated in the vaporizing chamber pass off to the line 14controlled by a valve 15 and are refluxed as explained in :thedephlegmator or fractional condensing apparatus 2. The still uncondensedvapors pass over from the reflux condenser through the line 16 to awater condenser 17 and are collected as distillate in the receiver 18,the latter being equipped with a pressure gauge 19, and liquid levelgauge 20 and a drawoff line 21 controlled by valve 22. The uncondensablegas which is collected in there ceiver may be drawn off through the line23 regulated by a valve 24 and charged by aqpump 25through the line 26inwhich is interposed a valve 27 to a heating coil 28 mounted in aheater 29 which receives the heated gases from the furnace through aflue 30 controlled by. a damper 31', the

expended gas passing off through the stack. The gas, after being heatedin the heating .coil 28 is directed through a line 32 in which ispositioned a check 'valve 33 and a pyrometer 34 and is peroolatedthrough the oil body maintained in the vaporizing chamber by means of aperforated pipe 35 submerged therein. The. heated gas bub-' bling upthrough the oily body has a peculiar chemical effect, which besidespromoting the vaporization of the oil, produces a better quality andmore uniform distillate in the receiver! The agitation caused by the gasthoroughly intermixes the oil so that a uniform temperature is producedthroughout and the heating effect of the conversion temperature. It isapparent that the heat'employed to heat the gases passing through thecoil 28 is the escaping or exhaust heat from the main furnace.

Obviously the heating gases from this 10o, gas obviates the necessity ofexternally heatin the vaporizing chamber in, order to maintain the oilbody at a desirable.

of the gases impinging against the heating free. carbon in suspension,which may be drawn off from time to time or continuously from theresiduum line 12, thus limitingthe collection of baked carbon in thevaporizing chamber so thatthe apparatus 'ma be run for a reater len thof time than has heretofore been possible as a greater amount of thecarbon is drawn oil with the unvaporized oil and residuum.

The increased reaction caused by the injection ofheated gasesfacilitates the vaporization of the oil in the reaction or vaporizingchamber and permits of the maintenance of a lower temperature in theheating coil. This latter advantage is of substantial importance due tothe fact that the lower temperature in the heating coil reduces thedeposition of carbon therein, a factor which is important in thecleaning and eflicient operation of the process. In order not to causedeposition of carbon in the cracking coils, -it is necessary to limitthe heat therein to a point in each cycle or to a temperature that willgive only a certain yieldof gasolene and also a certain total percent orrefluxing oil. From the total evaporated oil is obtained a yield ofpressure distillate. the remainder being the portion that isrefluxed'back' for further treatment and cracking.

It is evident from this that the total finhl yield of gasoline isdependent upon the percent of raw oil represented in the reflux oil. Itis also evident that the percent of reflux oil cannot be increasedwithout increasing the temperature of the oil in the cracking tubes, asthe reflux oilrequires ahigher temperature for conversion. This highertemperature will cause preciptation of carbon on the walls of thecracking tubes,

if care is not taken in the heating. "With the use of gas introduced tothe vaporizing chamber, the oil in the heating tubes would be submittedto a lowertemperature for the reason that when the oil in the expansionchamber is agitated wi h gas, a greater percentage is vaporize therefromthan when unagitated, the oil in both cases being the same temperature.This increased evaporation gives a greater percent of reflux oil whichis returned tothe cracking tubes and thus results in the final yield ofgasoline being very. much increased and without V the necessity ofsubjecting the oil in the cracking tubes to higher temperatures. Suchtreatment will leave the cracking rcaaaae tubes, transfer lines andvapor lines comparatively free of carbon, the carbon in the apparatusaccumulating almost entirely in the expansion chamber. If theuncondensable gas from the receiver is insufficient, extraneous gas maybe introduced from any convenient source through the line 36 controlledby a valve 37.

I claim as my invention:

1. A process of converting hydrocarbon oils, which comprises passing astream of oil through a cracking zone where said oil is subjected to acracking temperature, in de livering the highly heated oil" to aninsulated vapor chamber located outside'of the cracking zone and inwhich chamber a pool of liqiud oil collects, in discharging vapors fromsaid chamber to a dephlegmator, in returning reflux condensate from thedephlegmator to the oil stream passing through the cracking zone, indischarging uncondensed vapors from the dephlegmator to a finalcondenser and receiver, in removing incond ensable gases from saidreceiver. in heating said gases, and in then passing the heated gasesinto a conduit immersed in the 'liquid oil.in the vapor chamber, indischarging the gases from saidconduit into said oil, and in maintaininga superatmospheric .conversion of the oil in said enlarged reaction zoneby "introducing heated incondensible gases from the process thereto topercolate through the oil body maintained therein and undergoingconversion, in continuously removing liquids and vapors from saidenlarged reaction zone, and in maintaining a. superatmospheric pressureon the oil undergoing conversion in said heating coil and in saidenlarged zone.

3. An oil cracking process consisting in continuously advancing arestricted stream of oil through a heating tube disposed Within aheating furnace where said oi-l stream is heated to a crackingtemperature, in delivering said stream of oil while at a cracking heatto an enlarged reaction zone without permitting the escape of anyfractions of said oil stream, in maintaining a body'of;v

heatedoillin said reaction zone where conversion thereof occurs under acracking heat,"

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enlarged reaction'zone by intipduci'ng -hca'ted incondcnsible gasesthereto to perthrough the oil body maintained therein,

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colate through the oil body undergoing conversion, in subjectin vaporsgenerated from converted oil to re ux condensation, in recrackingthe'refiux condensate by introducing thesame t0 the inlet side of theheating coil, and in preventing the return of unvaporized residue fromthe enlarged reactionzone to said-heating coil, and in maintaining asu'peratinospheric pressure on the oil undergoing conversion in saidheating coil and said enlarged reaction zone.

4. An oil cracking-process consisting in continuously advancing arestricted stream of oil through a lieatingtube disposed within aheating furnace where said oil stream is heated to a crackingtemperature in delivering said stream of oil while at a cracking heat toan enlarged reaction zonevwitln out permitting the escape of anyfractions of said oilstream. in maintaining a body of heated oil in saidreaction zone where conversion thereof occurs, in promoting theconversion of the oil in said enlarged reaction .zone by introducingheated incondensible gases from-the process thereto to percolate iiisubjecting the vapors generated from the converted oil to refluxcondensation, iniaid ing in the condensation of said vapors by passingcharging oil in heat ,conductive relation with the vapors. inintroducing the preheated charging oil and the reflux condensate to theinlet side of the heating coil,

and in preventing the return of nnvaporized residue from said enlargedreaction zone to the heating coil, and maintaining a superatmo'sphericpressure on the oilundergoing conversion in said heating coil and saidenlarged reaction zone.

An oil conversion process consisting iii passing arestricted stream ofoil through a heating coil disposed within a heating'fur 1 "mice, inheating suchoil by furnace gases during its passage through said coil toa cracking tem'peratur in delivering the stream of heated hydrocarbonsto, an en.- larged reaction zone .where a body of oil is maintained, inpromoting the vaporization of the heated oil in'said reaction zone whileY conversion thereof is occurring by introducing heated hydrocarbongases to said reaction zone to physically commingle with the oiltherein,; in maintaining a super-atmos-,

pheric pressure on the oil stream and on the oil in said reaction zone,in discharging 'vaporsfrom the reaction zdne for reflux condenszition.in recrackingthe reflux condensate by admitting the. same to theinlet-side of the heating coil, and, in withdrawing un- -vaporizedresidue from the reaction zone .without again admitting the same to theheating coil.

6. An oil converting processconsisting: in

heating oil to a cracking temperaturewhilepassing in a restricted'streamthrough a heating zone, in collecting an enlarged body .zone byintroducing heated incondensible gases from the process to saidzone tocominingle with the oil body therein without substantially raising thetransferiempera-' ture of the oil introduced to' such enlarged zone, andin maintaining a superatmospheric pressure onthe oil undergoingconversion.

7. An oil cracking process consisting in continuously advancing arestricted stream of oil through a heating tube disposed within aheating furnace where said oil stream is heated to a crackingtemperature, in delivering said stream of oil While at a cracking heattoan enlarged reaction zone without permitting the escape of any fractionsof said oil stream, in maintaining a body of heated oil in said reactionzone where conversion thereof occurs, in proinoting'the conversion ofthe oil in said enlarged reaction ,zone by introducing heatedincondensable gas frdm the process thereto to percolate though the oilbody maintained therein, in

heating coil disposed within a heating fur nace, in heating such oil byfurnace gases during its passage through said 'coil' to a crackingtemperature, in delivering the stream of heated'hydrocarbons'to anenlarged reaction zonewhere a body of oil is maintained. in promotingthe vaporization of the heated -oil in said reaction zone by introducingheated hydrocarbon gas to said reaction zone to physically comniinglewith the oil therein, in maintaining a superatniosphericpressiire on theoil stream and on the oil in said reaction zone, in discharging vaporsfrom the reaction zone for reflux condensation, in recracking the refluxc611- densate by admitting the same to the inlet side of tlieheatingcoil, and'in withdrawing unvaporized residue from the reaction zonewithout again admitting the same to the heatingcod;

' 9. In" an apparatus for treating hydrocarbonoils, the combination witha heating zone, of a separate reacting zone connected therewith andlocated outside of said heating zone, means for condensing andcollecting the vapors generated in theheating and reacting zones. andmeans for lntroducing the unoondensable gases produced directly into thebody of oil in the reacting zone through'a conduit immersed in said bodyto agitate the oil body to prevent carbon frdin and to maintain thecarbon in suspension in the residuum to be withdrawn therewithfrom thereacting zone. 7

10. A process for treating hydrocarbon oils, consisting in subjectingthe oil to a cracking temperature in a heating zone by passage through aheating coil disposed therein, in directing the oil constituents fromsaid coil to a separate reaction zone located outside of the heatingzone, in drawing off and condensing the apors from the reaction zone andinjecting the uncondcnsable gas produced in the system directly into thebody of oil in the reaction zone to percolate through said body andprevent adherence of free carbon to the walls thereof and to cause suchcarbon to remain in' suspension in the residuum, and in withdrawing thereaeaaaaer siduumf and suspended carbon from the reacting zone.-

11. The process of treating hydrocarbon oil, consisting in heating astream of oilto a conversion temperature, in transferring the heated oilconstituents to an enlarged reaction zone where a body of liquid oil ismaintained, in which zone conversion of the oil occurs. iii-introducinginto the body of liquid oil maintained in said enlarged zone gasesproduced in the process under pressure to promote the reaction of theoil therein and to keep the carbon in suspension in the residual oil, inwithdrawing the products of conversion from said reaction zone.

and in maintaining a superatmospheric pres I sure on the oil stream andthe body of oil in said enlarged reaction zone.

CARBON P. DUBBS.

